The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-09-22
A Debt. Paying Religion.
o. - -
BY REV. D. H. TUTTLE.

BY REV. d. H. TUTTIE.
Just at this time our country needs a
religion that will make man pay his
debts. Shouting don't settle old notes
and accounts with God and man. Cash
up. We want to pounce right on a fel-
low and put him out of church if he goes
to ball, or theatre, or gets on adrunk,
but never say word to the pious scamp
who never pays his debts. Preachers
and people who never pay their debts
are doing. the Church more harm than
dance and drunkards-there are more Of
them in the Church. Reader, am I get
ting close to you? Then lay down the
paper and go and pay up, and then you
can read on with ease.
And don't you stop lying because the
"statute of Limitation" excuses the open
account you made for your bread and
meat; Gods law knows no such statute.
You pay it in cash, or God will make
you payit in fire and brimstone.. God
knows no such excuse from paying as
ahomestead exemption" You raise that
excuse to keep from paying your debts,
and you can stop singing, "When I can
read my titles clear to mansions in the
skiesn-you've got none up there. You
may say: 81 would pay if I could"
How hard have you tried ?aIf trying, at
this moment. could you say: ST have
done all in my power p" Have you tried
toasave q little each week or month for
debtss Are you spending no money for
things to eat and wear that You could not
do without? How much do you spend
per year for cigars and tobacco7 Make
your calculation. Put the amount to
your debts. Do you eat dainties and
luxuries7 Palmer diet would keep you
from making doctors bills thatyou won't
pay, and bring up bank accounts. Do
you strut about with an umbrella over
your head, while your creditor walks in
the broiling sun? Don't ycu cut shines
in hired;.turnouts maybe they are not
paid for) when you might walk, and use
the money to make your creditor smile.
a palmer suit would be more becoming
till; you can pay for those worn outlast
season. When expenses not necessary
for the feeding and clothing of the body
are cut off and applied to the payment of
debts, then you will grow i9 favor with
God, and not till then does God excuse
YOU. Repentance on this point must be
Of that godly sort that needeth not to be
repented Of. Reader, were you sorry
that you lad not paid your debts when
You made a profession Of religion? If
you were not,that is just why you have
not got q debt-paying religion. True
repentance has retroactive as we'll as a
prospective effect on thes-life of the
believer. He will as for as possible
make good his past wrongs. Many new
converts sing, @Jesus paid it all, all to
Him owe" No such thingl Jesus did
not pay it-all; neither do you owe it all
to Him. If the week before you were
converted you owed ten dollars and you
were able to pay it, and you owe that
ueighbor ten dollars yet, Jesus did not
pay that for you. Ifyou don't pay that
debt it will meet you at your judgment
just as sure as you are sinner. 1t is
mean in you to expect Jesus to pay debts
for you that you can pay yourself. Ifyou
have Christian heart in you, think how
much Jesus paid for you that you never
could have met at Gods bar of inaexible
justice. Some people think that the
cleansing stream Of Jesus's blood washed
Sinai away and. deluged the law. No
such thingl Jesus came not to destroy,
but to fulfill, and gave grace that We
through Him might fulfill. Jesus every.
where enforces the Commandments as
the rule Of life.
At the close of our great revival at
Fifth Street Church two years ago, q
number of young men came to me to
know if they ought to 60 and pay bills
that they had made at barrooms for
whiskey, &c. I told them to "owe them
nothing;;" ''let not your good be evil
spoken of"-give the devil his dues. All
of those young men, save one or two,
went and paid up those bad debts, and
have had no more. Those who could not
see that twas their duty to pay those
debts, have returned to their old paths,
and their second state is worse than the
first.
Then let the whole Church pray for
revival of the debt-paying religion. In
every revival let prayers be made that
the new converts may have grace to pay
up old debts. and not contract new ones
uithout good.probability oftpaying them.
Let the ministry enforce this duty pub.
licly and privately with discretion) and
great good can be accomplished. If the
preachers would look after this matter of
debt-psying among their congregations,
their own debts might be more promptly.
paid. Chickens come home to roost.
Both preacher and people need to be
more cautious, prayful and PLAYFUL about
this line. The great necessity of the
present time is confidence among the
people. Let the Church demand and
command her membership to live up to
their promises and contracts, and soon
present financial darkness will give way
to brighter morn of prosperity to all
business circles. Keep the amen cor
ners and front seats clear of members
wao can't and won't pay their debts (the
pulpit too) and the word preached will
II ~ .